We are an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the history, culture and true lives of Romani people worldwide.
We confront racism and oppression wherever we encounter it.
We try to make connections with all the "isms" that make up western culture.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

CZECH REPUBLIC

Poll: Young Czech generation views Roma problem as most serious

The Czech majority population's rising resentment against Romanies strongly affects the views of the young generation of secondary school students, who described coexistence with the Romany minority as the country's biggest problem in a recent poll, daily Lidove noviny (LN) writes Monday.

In the poll, the People in Need NGO mapped the positions of secondary school students (aged from 15 to 19) on the country's present problems and history, their political preferences and willingness to join public life.

Compared to the previous similar poll from early 2009, the fresh poll showed a significant increase in the number of students who view Romanies as the most serious present problem, LN writes.
The Romany problem is closely followed by the domestic political representation, unemployment and corruption as other big problems in students' eyes, the paper says.

"The previously expected change in the ethnic climate, in young people's relation to Romanies, their rising openness, tolerance and peer solidarity have not come true," sociologist Ivan Gabal said about the poll results.

Elite grammar school students described coexistence with Romanies as difficult more often than apprentices and vocational school students, the daily continues.

Not always did the respondents speak based on their direct experience. A half of them said the main source of information about Romanies is the media, family and friends. Only the other half said their assessment of the Romany problem ensued from their direct experience, LN writes.

Their position does "not primarily stem from their contact with Romanies. They make up their mind based on indirect experience," said Martin Simacek, head of the government agency for Romany integration.

He said it is a mistake of schools, media and parents to assure young people that coexistence with Romanies is problematic.

"It is necessary for schools to change their way of teaching and to start preparing young people for the diversity of society and the existence of minorities, of handicapped people," Simacek is quoted as saying.

It is far earlier than at secondary schools that the unfortunate situation arises, however. The mistake is made at elementary schools in which children are selected, and some - mainly Romanies - are sent to "practical" schools for kids with learning difficulties, often unrightfully, Simacek points out.
If it were not for this and if all children grew up together , the secondary schools students would assess Romanies differently, Simacek adds.

The poll also mapped secondary school students' views on the country's communist past.
"The number of [students] relativising the situation before 1989 is rising. Their parents and grandparents often plan to support the Communists (KSCM) in elections, according to polls, which is an indicator of something," says Karel Strachota, from People In Need.

Asked what party they would support when taking part in elections for the first time, the students mostly said they do not know and that they mistrust the established traditional parties.

"This is not surprising. What embarrassed me, however, was the very good result of Tomas Vandas's [ultra-right extra-parliamentary] Workers' Party of Social Justice (DSSS)," political analyst Josef Mlejnek told CTK.

The poll showed that as many as 12 percent of secondary school students would cast their ballots in support of the DSSS, though the party did not appear at all among their preferences in the previous poll two years ago, the paper writes.

A couple of years ago, the court banned the DSSS's predecessor, the Workers' Party (DS), as dangerous for its extremist and xenophobic positions.

The fact that as many as 13 percent of students said they favoured the Pirate Party is not surprising, on the other hand, Mlejnek said, adding that the party owes its success to students being familiar with the Internet.

The poll also indicated that the number of Eurosceptics is rising among students. Forty-three percent assessed the Czech EU membership positively, compared to 58 percent three years ago.

The portion of those believing that they have no chance to influence Czech national or local problems has remained the same, 80 percent, LN concludes.

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FLAG OF THE ROMA

LOLO DIKLO : RrOMANI AGAINST RACISM

Lolo Diklo : Rromani Against Racism is an organization dedicated to providing information about the true situation of the Romani (Gypsies) in the world today. We are committed to confronting racism and oppression wherever it is found.

BACKGROUND

The Romani are a people who are not very well known. We are an ethnic group of people originally from India. We left India and arrived in Europe sometime in the 1300's. There are many theories as to why we left India. This is the work of academics, and we have some. Most Romani are more concerned about daily survival to worry about documentation of our past. We know who we are.

What is known about the Romani is, for the most part, stereotypically based. We are portrayed as romantic, carefree wonderers or child stealers, pick pockets and beggers.

Today the Romani of Europe face the same discrimination they have faced for centuries.